Tuesday, May 27, 2008

No pressure from Sarawak BN for important posts in Cabinet

No pressure from Sarawak BN for important posts in Cabinet

KUCHING (Bernama) - The Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) government has never pressured the federal government for important posts, including the post of deputy prime minister, since joining Malaysia in 1963.

State Housing Minister Datuk Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak politics should not be seen in the same light as Sabah politics, as Sarawak BN stressed a policy of consultations to resolve any problem with the federal government.

"But I do not want to comment on Sabah politics. In Sarawak, there had been no trouble because whenever there was a problem with the federal government, we would not resort to an 'open war'. Instead, we negotiated to solve the problem," he told reporters here yesterday.

Johari, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president, said the Sarawak BN representatives had a certain political quality which endeared them to the people since independence.

He said there were Sabah and Sarawak politicians who aspired to become deputy prime minister, and this had been played up by the Pakatan Rakyat which promised this if it ruled the country."We have not been hasty (in wanting the DPM post)," he said.

On Saturday, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that some Sabah and Sarawak MPs were keen to cross over to the opposition coalition and would do so soon.

In the March 8 general election, Sarawak BN won 30 of the parliamentary seats in the state while the other seat was won by the DAP.